happily like to think of ­our­selves as a civilised society. But in truth we have never been more uncivil towards one another. Behaviour is bad and getting worse.

Last year, there were 20,000 physical assaults on shop staff. And in the time it takes you to‑read this article, someone working in our health service will have been attacked. And we have seen a deterioration in behaviour in other ways too ­– from swearing and verbal abuse to littering public places.

The question we now have to ask is what can we do to reverse this trend of bad behaviour? How can we put good manners back into our society?

This is not something ­that government can do on its own. We all have a part to play. That’s why I have been ­calling‑for a revolution in responsibility.

This means parents ­under­standing that it is their responsibility to bring up their children with the right ­values. It means neighbours understanding it is their responsibility, not just the council’s, to look out for each other and keep the community in order. It means businesses understanding it is their responsibility, not just the ­government’s, to think about the social consequences of what they do.

it also means all of us, as‑individuals, understanding that we need to apply the social pressure that makes it unacceptable for people to behave badly.

Let me make one thing clear: I’m not calling for a vigilante society in which people take irresponsible risks with their own safety to confront bad behaviour. We have seen all too often that this can lead to appalling outcomes.

Social pressure – all of us ­working together – can shape a‑change in our culture so abusive, rude and thought­less behaviour is no longer ­tolerated.

It would be far less daunting to intervene and challenge bad‑behaviour if you knew that ­others would be there to ­support you too.

If a responsible adult ­challenges bad behaviour and receives abuse in return, then they should feel reassured that other responsible adults will be there to back them up. And they should also know that if‑they challenge bad behaviour, then the law will be on their side, not on the side of those doing wrong.

Look at how social ­pressure is helping to address one of the great challenges that faces our country: climate change.

Up and down the country, people are deciding it is up to them to create a cleaner environment and ­taking the positive steps to do‑so. And look how social pressure ­confronted the great evil of racism. Society as a whole stood up to some vicious thugs with a nasty ideology.

I want to see a similar ­determination against bad ­behaviour. Like the fight against climate change, this is not an agenda that will­ succeed overnight. And like the fight against racism, there will be setbacks. But I wanted to start the debate now so we‑can begin working towards a future where anti-social ­behaviour is unacceptable and intervention against it is backed up by the whole of ­society.

One area where intervention is more possible now‑is among our youngest children.

The habits children learn are often hard to shift as they get older. Indeed, more often than not, the‑petty bad behaviour that is‑accepted today makes the space for the more serious crime of tomorrow.

Confronting and tackling bad behaviour early on in life is crucial if we want to make sure our kids become responsible adults. In order to achieve this ­revolution in responsibility, we need a radical change in the distribution of power in society.

Over the past 30 or so years people have begun to believe that for every social problem there must be some ­govern­ment initiative or law that can fix it. What’s more, we‑have also begun to think that‑unless there is a government law against ­something, then it must be all‑right.

We have to stop ­thinking that government action alone is the‑answer for all our ­problems and we need‑to transfer power and responsibility to families, ­professionals, communities and neighbourhoods.

This week, I have set out my ­manifesto for a responsible society. It is one where the state treats its citizens as adults, who are trusted and respected; not as children to be controlled and directed. And one in which the government encourages social responsibility by streng­th­ening the building blocks of a strong and ­responsible society.

Building blocks such as ­families, because a secure home life is the best way to make sure our children grow up to‑be responsible citizens. Building blocks such as local government and neighbourhood organisations, because giving people more control over their lives will encourage them to live more responsibly. (When people ask for ­evidence of giving people more‑responsibility and them behaving more responsibly, I‑would say council house sales, which encouraged people to take more care of their properties.)

And building blocks such as our public sector professionals: we have to reverse Labour’s moves that have taken away responsibility from our ­teachers and police officers.

To those that ask what this agenda means in practice, it means strengthening families through the tax system. It means getting rid of all the forms and regulations that are weighing down our police. It means ending the culture of top-down targets that crush our public servants. And it means giving more power to local government.

In this way, this agenda is not‑only a clear set of values by‑which a Conservative government will run Britain; it’s a clear plan of action, too.